The nature of religious faith is quite mysterious. Islam emancipates the mind from superstitions and uncertainties. It liberates the soul from sin and corruption. Submission to the will of God does not curtail freedom, on the contrary, it gives a very high degree of freedom and fills it with truth and knowledge. Once a person accepts Islam they are no longer slaves to fashion or consumerism. There is one benefit of converting to Islam that makes every day a delight. No matter what circumstances a Muslim finds him or herself in, they are secure in the knowledge that nothing in this universe happens without the permission of God. Allah says:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“Say, “If you love Allah, then follow Allah will love you and He will forgive you your sins. And Allah (is) Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah Al Imran 3:31)

Being Muslim indicates complete submission to the Creator and the fact that we were only created to worship God Alone. That is the reason we are here, on this spinning planet in the seemingly infinite universe; to worship God and God Alone. Converting to Islam frees us from the only potentially unforgivable sin to associate partners with God. On a smaller but equally as important scale, Islam liberates a person from the superstitions that rule the lives of those not truly submitted to God. A believer knows that good and bad luck does not exist. Allah says:

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ

“Certainly, We sent Nuh to his people and he said, “O my people! Worship Allah, not for you any god other than Him. Indeed, I [I] fear for you punishment (of the) Day Great.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:59)

Once a person accepts Islam they are no longer slaves to fashion or consumerism, and they are free from the slavery of a monetary system designed to subjugate the people. On a smaller but equally as important scale, Islam liberates a person from the superstitions that rule the lives of those not truly submitted to God. A believer knows that good and bad luck does not exist. Allah says:

وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

“And (do) not weaken and (do) not grieve and you (will be) [the] superior, if you are believers.” (Surah Al ‘Imran 3:139)

Both the good and the bad aspects of our lives come from God and as Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, explains all the affairs of a believer are good, “If he is granted ease then he is thankful, and this is good for him. And if he is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres, and this is good for him”.

There are many benefits of converting to Islam:

1. Converting to Islam allows every aspect of life to be an act of worship
2. Converting to Islam brings mercy, forgiveness, trials, and tribulations
3. Converting to Islam, we transform all aspects of life into act worship
4. Converting to Islam allows a person to truly experience God’s love
5. Conversion to Islam, man acquires the forgiveness of God 
6. Conversion to Islam brings harmony into all relationships
7. Converting to Islam makes all relationships harmonious
8. One forms a personal and direct relationship with God
9. Conversion to Islam, man acquires the mercy of God
10. Converting to Islam allows one to face all situations
11. Converting to Islam answers all life’s BIG questions
12. One feels and is aware that God knows everything
13. One feels  God assist him in all matters of life
14. One finds true happiness and tranquillity
15. One finds real inner peace and real life
16. One achieves salvation from Hellfire
17. As a Muslim, you never feel alone
18. Forgiveness for All Previous Sins
19. God makes His desires clear
20. A person acquires a pleasant personality
21. Perfect happiness exists only in Paradise
22. As a result, you will be friendly and amicable
23. A person realizes the true purpose of his life
24. The key to being happy is the pleasure of God
25. The religion of Islam has answers to all situations
26. Islam itself is inherently associated with inner peace
27. A person  God recognize and follow His commandments
28. A Muslim is promised by God the reward of eternal Paradise
29. As a result, realizes the right steps to take in all aspects of life
30. In Islam, a person finds the answers to all important life questions

Converting to Islam allows a person to achieve God’s love by following His guide to life – the Quran, and the authentic teachings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. When God created the world He did not abandon it to instability and insecurity. He sent a rope, firm and steady, and an insignificant human being can achieve greatness and eternal peace by holding tightly to this rope. Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

“Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Nuh, and (the) family (of) Ibrahim and (the) family (of) Imran over the worlds.” (Surah Al ‘Imran 3:33)

Islam fulfils and balances our physical and spiritual needs. This system, designed by the Creator for his creation, not only expects a high standard of behaviour, morality, and ethics but also allows every human act to be transformed into worship. God commands believers to dedicate their lives to Him. Allah says:

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Say, “Indeed, my prayer, and my rites of sacrifice, and my living, and my dying (are) for Allah, Lord (of) the worlds.” (Surah Al-An’am 6:162)

God knows what is best for His creation. He has complete knowledge of the human psyche. Consequently, Islam clearly defines the rights and responsibilities we have towards God, our parents, spouses, children, relatives, neighbours, etc. This brings order out of chaos, harmony out of confusion and replaces friction and conflict with peace. Converting to Islam allows one to face any situation with confidence. Islam can guide us through all aspects of life, spiritual, political, familial, societal and corporate. Allah says:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

“And I (God) created not the jinn and humankind, except to worship Me (Alone).” (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)

In the words of the Quran, God makes His desires clear, however, human beings have free will and are free to either please or displease God. We can see that most of these reasons can only be attributed to the process of critical thinking and intellectual reflection.

Some of the reasons attributed by people who convert to Islam are listed below:

• The Qur’an is the only revelation from God still in the original form it “as revealed in
• The Islamic concept of life after death is very practical and logical
• The system of burying the dead in Islam made you close to Islam
• Muslims are very charitable and help the poor and needy
• Muslims have a very rich culture wherever you go
• Muslims call Allah for help all the time
• Muslim women take care of their modesty
• In Muslim society, women are highly respected
• We are answerable to God for everything that we do in this life
• Converting to Islam allows a person to truly experience God’s love
• A convert to Islam can achieve happiness, tranquillity and inner peace
• Islam keeping oneself away from prohibitions make the person perfect individually, socially, morally and medically
• Islam has so many rules and regulations for Muslims which make them be good in their lives and practice accordingly

God tells us we will be tested and He advises us to bear our trials and tribulations patiently. This is difficult to understand unless one embraces the Oneness of God, the religion of Islam, where God has given us clear guidelines about how to behave when faced with trials and tribulations. Allah says:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ

“And surely We will test you with something of [the] fear and [the] hunger and loss of [the] wealth and [the] lives and [the] fruits, but give good news (to) the patient ones.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:155)

Prophet Muhammad said, “A man will be tested according to the level of his religious commitment, and the trials will keep affecting a believer until he is left walking on the face of the earth with no burden of sin whatsoever”.  A Muslim knows with certainty that this world, this life, is no more than a transient place, a stop on the journey to our eternal life in either the hellfire or the paradise. To face the Creator with no burden of sin is a marvellous thing, certainly worth the tests that befall us. Allah says:

وَالْبَلَدُ الطَّيِّبُ يَخْرُجُ نَبَاتُهُ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ وَالَّذِي خَبُثَ لَا يَخْرُجُ إِلَّا نَكِدًا كَذَٰلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَشْكُرُونَ

“And the land – [the] pure, comes forth its vegetation by (the) permission (of) its Lord, but which is bad – (does) not come forth except (with) difficulty. Thus We explain the Signs for people who are grateful.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:58)

Islam itself is inherently associated with inner peace and tranquillity. When one submits to God’s will, he or she will experience an innate sense of security and peacefulness. Perfect happiness exists only in Paradise. There we will find total peace, tranquillity, and security and be free from the fear, anxiety, and pain that are part of the human condition. However, the guidelines provided by Islam allow us, imperfect humans, to seek happiness in this world. The key to being happy in this world and the next is seeking the pleasure of God, and worshipping Him.